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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24496345">A Break in the Monotony</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/K1zna/pseuds/K1zna'>K1zna</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Half-Life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>First Meetings, M/M, Pre-Canon, Selectively Mute Gordon Freeman, Sign Language, just some vent crawling guys being some vent crawling dudes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:09:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,882</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24496345</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/K1zna/pseuds/K1zna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Barney isn't sure why he decided the best way to solve the problem of Dr. Kleiner being locked out of his office was to immediately head to the vents, but he's here now, and hey, he might even find something cool while he's crawling around.</p><p>It's only when he realizes he's not alone that he starts to have second thoughts.</p><p>(And only after he meets his fellow vent-crawler that he starts to think it was all worth it anyway.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Barney Calhoun/Gordon Freeman</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>341</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Break in the Monotony</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The air in the vents is stuffy. Barney thinks that’s a little funny, considering the whole reason vents exist is to circulate fresh air around the building or something, but he also is probably blocking the airflow himself as he crawls through them, so he supposes he can’t really complain.</p><p>He’s not entirely sure why he was the one who offered to take this unorthodox route to Dr. Kleiner’s office after hearing that the scientist had locked his keys inside there. Maybe he was getting bored of patrolling the same few empty hallways and figured it’d be a nice reprieve from his usual duties, should he run into something exciting up there. He isn’t sure what he expected to find when crawling through Black Mesa’s vents, but really, a research facility <em>this </em>big has gotta have <em>some </em>sort of escaped experiment hiding <em>somewhere </em>in it, right?</p><p>He swears lightly as he hits his elbow against the side of the vent, having briefly forgotten himself and where he is. He shakes it out, careful not to repeat the mistake, and continues onward towards where he thinks he might find an entrance to Kleiner’s office if his memory of the layout of this wing of Black Mesa is right. </p><p>It’s going fairly smoothly, save the occasional bump against the vent’s walls or getting himself turned around once or twice, and Barney thinks he can see light coming up ahead when he feels the vent shaft shake ever so slightly.</p><p>Barney freezes, wondering if that was normal, some unremarkable shift due to some sort of clunky fan, when the shaft shakes again. Then again, and again, until Barney realizes that it’s happening to a sort of rhythm. That, and they’re getting just barely more noticeable each time, and if Barney strains his ears enough, he can hear a very faint thud that seems to be growing louder in time with the shakes.</p><p>He panics for just a second, blanking on what to do here. Sure, he’s a trained professional and has tons of emergency protocols memorized, but those are all for when he’s on the floor, with unrestricted movement and full access to his weapons. Here, confined to this small vent, Barney has no idea what to do. The shaking continues despite this. Whatever’s causing it is definitely getting closer.</p><p>Well, it’s not like Barney can turn around and run. Maybe this was a bad idea.</p><p>With nowhere else to go but forward, he presses on, crawling as gently and quietly as he can as to not alert whatever else is in the vents to his presence. As it approaches, Barney is able to start trying to figure out where it’s coming from exactly, and eventually realizes that it seems to be heading for a sort of opening in front of him where several shafts meet up over a grate. </p><p>Perfect. All Barney has to do is make it there before whatever’s coming does, and he’ll have the advantage. He presses on, trying to speed up just enough so that he’ll beat it to the clearing, and makes it there just in time for his head to instantly collide with something <em>also </em>making it there.</p><p>He yelps in surprise and pulls back, blinking open his eyes in a rush, prepared to face off against whatever he’s run into. What he doesn’t expect is another pair of eyes staring back at him—wide ones, behind a pair of lopsided glasses—from the face of a person who is decidedly human and doesn’t look like what Barney imagined an escaped experiment roaming the vents of Black Mesa would look like.</p><p>The two spend a second staring at each other, dumbfounded, and Barney finally opens his mouth to say something when he hears a creaking noise and realizes that the two of them are currently on top of a grate which probably can’t support the weight of two grown men, and he barely has time to think before the vent cover just fails completely and sends both Barney and the other man tumbling down into the room below.</p><p>Barney lands first. The other guy follows suit, knocking the air out of Barney’s already nearly-empty lungs when he lands directly on top of him.</p><p>In a flash, the other guy is scrambling to his feet, and Barney sits up as well. He looks to the other guy to say something, but pauses when he notices that he’s furiously making some repeated movement with his hands. It takes Barney a second to recognize that, oh, that’s probably sign language, and a few more to remember the brief lesson in ASL he was given when joining Black Mesa’s security team. He eventually is able to recognize that the man is signing ‘sorry’ over and over, and Barney suddenly feels pretty bad.</p><p>"Hey, hey, it’s okay," he says, rising to his feet and dusting off his pants with his hands. "You’re not, uh, hurt anywhere, are you?"</p><p><em> No</em>, the man signs in response. <em> Are you? </em></p><p>"Me? I’m all good," Barney says, and takes a second to study the man’s face a bit. He’s pretty familiar with most of the employees here, having been on duty at the entrance a few times and seeing them all check in every morning, so he should be able to recognize this one…</p><p>"Oh, hey, you’re the new guy, aren't ‘cha? Gordon Freeman, yeah?"</p><p>Gordon looks a little surprised, blinking a bit before stiffly nodding. Barney can’t help but laugh at his startled blush.</p><p>"Ah, didn’t mean to surprise you there. I’ve gotta at least be familiar with the names of all the scientists here; security reasons, ya know? The name’s Barney Calhoun, security officer here at Black Mesa." He offers a comforting smile in hopes of easing Gordon’s evident anxiety. "Not the most orthodox way of gettin’ to know a new coworker, I s’pose, but it’s good to meetcha anyway!"</p><p>Barney scratches his neck, an anxious tic from the awkward air filling the room, before he remembers himself and shoots his hand out for a handshake. Gordon stares down at it for a second, then gingerly takes it, shaking Barney’s hand carefully as if worried he would break it. Barney finds himself smiling a little bit at the care with which Gordon seems to handle himself and everything around him.</p><p>It’s a bit endearing, if he’s being honest. The thought hits Barney, and he quickly shakes it off. He just met this guy, he can’t make things between them weird already—this whole thing is weird enough as is.</p><p>"So what was a man of your position doing vent-crawling, Dr. Freeman?" Barney asks, avoiding Gordon’s gaze by looking around the room they’re in. It seems like a pretty standard office, complete with seemingly disorganized papers strewn about the entire room. Not Barney’s place to judge, though. His own office isn’t much better.</p><p><em> Trying to get here, actually, </em> Gordon signs, his own eyes also avoiding Barney’s. <em> I overheard Dr. Kleiner say he was locked out of his office, and I figured the fastest way to get in would be the vents. </em></p><p>Barney blinks incredulously at Gordon for a few moments before bursting out in laughter, the ridiculousness of the situation hitting him with full force. "Ah, man, really?" he manages between breaths. "Well, guess ya weren’t wrong, huh?"</p><p>Gordon’s blush only deepens, and Barney has to calm himself down before he mortifies this man even further. "Don’t misunderstand me, Doc, ‘m not makin’ fun of you… I mean, I was doin’ the same thing. This is Dr. Kleiner’s office, yeah?"</p><p>Gordon still looks vaguely terrified as he nods in confirmation. Barney feels himself smile lopsidedly, despite the situation.</p><p>"Guess nobody thought to tell me someone else had already taken Dr. Kleiner up on his request," Barney says, finally letting his gaze rest on the still-embarrassed-looking Gordon. "I gotta tell you, Dr. Freeman, you scared the living daylights outta me when I heard you comin’ down that vent. Thought I was gonna be attacked by some, I dunno, alien or somethin’."</p><p>Gordon finally smiles at that, tiny but definitely there. Seeing that smile makes Barney pause for a second, and that split-second feeling is definitely something for him to look further into later, but right now he just feels relieved to see the scientist look like he’s feeling something other than complete terror.</p><p><em> Alien? </em> Gordon signs, and that tiny smile grows into something that looks more like he’s holding back laughter. <em> Were you expecting to find one in the vents? </em></p><p>It’s Barney’s turn to blush now, and his hand returns to the back of his neck as he speaks. "Well, not <em>expectin’</em>, exactly, ‘s just… it’s always a possibility, y’know?"</p><p><em> Sure it is</em>. Is that a smug look on Gordon’s face? <em> Well, I’m sorry for scaring you, Officer. I didn’t— </em></p><p>"Barney," Barney corrects, surprising both Gordon and himself. He’s stunned into silence for a few brief seconds before he realizes what he just said and rushes to explain. "I mean, if you’re alright with skippin’ past all that formality right off the bat. Personally, I think that crash landing on top of someone makes things too intimate for us to be referring to one another by our professional titles, but that’s jus’ me."</p><p>At this, Gordon finally lets himself laugh, and Barney is taken aback. It’s barely audible but certainly there, light and breathless, and it leaves Barney breathless in turn and wow, he seriously needs to have a talk with himself later about whatever the hell is going on with his heart.</p><p><em> I understand</em>, Gordon signs, slightly shaky from the giggles still wracking his shoulders. <em> If that’s the case, you can call me Gordon. It’s nice to meet you, Barney. </em></p><p>Barney can barely fight the grin that overtakes his whole face, then decides he doesn’t need to fight it and lets it show in full. "Same to you, Gordon," he says, and the smile Gordon gives him in return is enough to make this whole mess all worth it.</p><p>"Now, let’s not keep Dr. Kleiner waitin’ any longer, yeah?"</p><p> </p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>Barney barely needs to overhear more than two words about Kleiner being locked out again before he’s scrambling for the nearest vent cover.</p><p>He’s faster this time, having started to adjust to the feeling of traversing the vents, and also maybe, <em> maybe</em>, he’s looking forward to what he’ll find at the end this time—<em>hopes </em>he’ll find at the end this time.</p><p>His heart soars when he feels the steady shaking of the vent, and he wastes no time in getting closer to where he thinks it’ll end up.</p><p>He barely stops himself in time to avoid smashing his head into Gordon’s for a second time, and the combination of the physical work it took to get here and the sight of Gordon’s beaming face leaves Barney completely out of breath.</p><p><em> Still looking for aliens? </em> Gordon’s signing is tight and difficult to read in the small space, but Barney manages, and all the air he’d managed to recollect comes rushing back out of him in a laugh.</p><p>"What if I am?" he says, raising an eyebrow. Gordon just smiles coyly in return, and Barney thinks that what he’s found instead is better than any alien could ever be.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>title is (partially) from here it goes again by ok go<br/>thank you so much for reading, and thank you to the hlvrai hell hole server for inspiring me to write again. you guys are epic<br/>if you leave a comment or a kudos i will personally come to your house and give you a little kiss on the head :) thank you so much<br/><a href="https://k1zna.tumblr.com">find me on tumblr at k1zna!</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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